A beacon of the early internet is about to be silenced.<\/p>\n
AOL\u2019s dial-up internet service is shutting down Tuesday, ending one of the web\u2019s first mainstream access points.<\/p>\n
Once a dominant technology player, AOL, initially called America Online, provided the gateway for millions of people to get their first taste of the web. Signing into the service \u2014 a process accompanied by a noisy, garbled series of computerized tones that sounded like a drowning robot \u2014 became a rite of passage.<\/p>\n
Once online, they would be greeted by a chipper if vaguely mechanical voice exclaiming \u201cWelcome! You\u2019ve Got Mail!\u201d The phrase grew so familiar that it became the title of a blockbuster romantic comedy<\/a> starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. <\/p>\n At its peak, AOL counted more than 20 million users and in 2000 became part of the largest corporate deal in history when it merged with Time Warner in a deal that gave the combined companies a value of approximately $350 billion<\/a>. But as broadband internet became more accessible \u2014 and as a host of more sophisticated web browsers came on the scene \u2014 AOL began shedding users. In 2021, it was sold<\/a> along with Yahoo \u2014 with which it had merged after both were acquired by Verizon \u2014 for $5 billion to the private equity giant Apollo. <\/p>\n The dial-up shutdown was first reported in August<\/a>. A representative for AOL did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a brief note posted to its help page<\/a>, the company said the decision was made as part of a routine evaluation of its products and services. <\/p>\n AOL remains active today: CNBC reported in 2021 that<\/a> 1.5 million monthly customers paid for AOL\u2019s technical support and identity theft services, equating to as much as $180 million in annual revenue. AOL also continues to offer email services. <\/p>\n